Wolf Among Men
by Randomwriterwithnosubject
Summary: The story is a spin off of a very old Navajo legend. The skinwalker.
1. Chapter 1

There is a legend among the Navajo. The tale is passed down from generation to generation around campfires. The story says that there is a beast, a beast that can steal your appearance and read your mind. The creature was born from sin and is one of the evil beings that roam the valleys. The beast can take any form, steal voices, and trick almost any man. The only way you can identify this beast is by its glowing eyes, and the only way you can kill the evil thing is with a bullet, covered in white ash. This is the legend of the skinwalker.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Wolf among men

I look in the mirror. My reflection peers back at me, smirking. My short black hair stands on end from rolling out of bed. My Navajo tan is hidden by my long sleeve shirt and jeans. I realize how absolutely average I look… Except for my eyes. They're neon green. I scowl at the mirror, but my reflection still smirks back at me, taunting me. _How will you screw up this school little Hok'ee? Little abandoned one, why don't you just give in? _I shake my head. I will be normal. I won't mess this up.

"Hok'ee, your breakfast is ready," my sweet adoptive mother yells from downstairs.

I grumble about hating that name and that she should call me by my middle name, Gavin. I proceed to slide down the mahogany stair rail, knowing what mom would say.

"Gavin! That's mahogany!" she snaps her long blonde hair whipping around as she scowled at me with her motherly stare.

I laugh, grab my toast, and run out the door, not forgetting to tell her I love her.

The school looks haunted. I stand outside the decrepit red brick building and finish my toast. Thoughts of passing students float through the air like feathers, ready for me to grab. I don't, of course. None of them seem interesting enough.

"HI!" a tiny girl's voice rings clearly through the clutter of voices outside the sad looking building.

I keep walking through the crowd, knowing it couldn't be for me. She's yelling at her boyfriend or some friends. Someone grabs my arm and I freeze.

"I'm talking to you."

It's the same voice. The voice belongs to a tiny brunette girl with a pixie cut and blue eyes. She maybe comes up to my shoulder, and I'm 5'11.

"Sorry?" I mumble, a little befuddled by her sudden gesture.

She looks me over and stops at my eyes. I resist the urge to flinch. "Are those fake?" she asks, her baby blue eyes piercing mine. I shake my head no. She still has a hold of my arm and people are starting to stare. I nervously squeak. I flinch as I realize it was a mouse squeak. She does the last thing I expected anyone to do. She laughs.

"I'm Maggie," she says, her voice clear and smooth, almost like a bell.

"Hey," I say back, still in awe.

"You're not going to tell me your name?" she asks, clearly annoyed.

"You still have a hold of my arm…"

She lets go, and looks at me expectantly. "I'm Hok'ee Gavin Clark," I mumble. "I go by Gavin."

"What does Hok'ee mean?" I realize that she's genuinely curious.

"It's a Navajo word for abandoned. I was adopted…" I grumble, scratching the back of my head.

"That's awesome. Try and find me at lunch. Bye."

And just like that, Maggie is gone. I walk into the old school and attempt to find my first class. The irony is that my first class is myths and legends. I sigh as I walk into the class. A dark haired man sits at his desk, eyeing his new students. His eyes make direct contact with mine, and a shiver runs down my spine. He clearly works out, and his eyes are almost black. His hair is slicked back, and he keeps his eyes on me for longer than I like. I sit, and he stands in his Italian suit and shoes. I grind my teeth a little. This class will not be fun.

"I am Mister Black, and this is Myth and Legends. If you are here for an easy A, leave now." His voice is a low growl, almost predatory. To my surprise, a boy actually gets up and leaves.

"There's always one," Mr. Black says with a smirk. "Any others?"

We all look around, and when Mr. Black feels that no one else will leave, he begins writing on the board. "We begin with Greek mythology. Page two hundred and ninety-four. Get your books and then I'll take roll."

Roll has always been an issue. All the mis-pronunciations followed by an awkward, "I go by Gavin."

Mr. Black calls out my name correctly and then asks if I go by my middle name. A little shocked, I nod. He mumbles something, then goes on with role.

Its lunch time and I'm trying to find an empty table. There are already rumors circulating about me. You don't have to be a mind reader or a skin walker to figure that out.

Maggie's voice rings from the crowd, "Gavin! Gavin! Over here! Can you hear me?"

I sigh and walk towards her table. Her table is just girls and none of them are making eye contact with me. "I'm just going to sit by myself…"

"Bull shit. I saved you a chair." She pulls out the chair and pats it.

I look around, and the girls are quiet. I sit awkwardly and eat. Eventually conversation starts around me, and I keep quiet. I have a place to sit, and I'm content with that.

"So… Gavin, where are you from?" someone besides Maggie asks.

I look up from my fries. "I was born in Texas, but I've traveled all over the U.S. I just came from Kentucky."

"All the way to California? Why?" the girl asks. She's a tall blonde with pretty brown eyes. I find myself stuttering as I realize how cute she is.

"M-my mom found a b-better job over here."

"What does she do?" the girl inquires as she leans forward, her slightly immodest shirt presenting a little too much information.

"She's a nanny," I say, turning red.

She nods, and Maggie mumbles something. "So what's your name?" I ask.

"Caitlin Greene."

"Cool."

The rest of lunch is spent in awkward silence that could only be brought on by a teenage skin walker.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

The Hunter or the Hunted

I listen as Mr. Black lectures on the birth of Athena. Something about him sends shivers through me. His Italian shoes squeak as he paces, his jet black hair is slicked back without a single hair out of place, and his desk is beyond organized. This guy isn't a teacher, that much I know. His eyes glint with something unnatural, something rabid. His thoughts are guarded, not free flowing like others'. I grind my teeth, seething inside. This man is an anomaly. I can't stand it.

It's raining. This small town is gloomy as it is, and the rain only makes it worse. The old buildings loom over me as I walk, putting me on edge. The street is deserted. Everyone is still at work. I get sick of the slow walk, duck into an alley, and switch. The pain shoots through my body, but I grind my teeth and bear it. I see a snout shoot from my face and quickly black fur follows. Pain sears through my hands as they condense into paws and claws shoot from my fingertips. I fall on all fours and growl as my bones snap and re-arrange. A black dog with glowing green eyes, I turn my head, and there is Maggie. Her eyes are wide with fear. Her knees buckle, and she falls.

I sit by her, waiting for her to wake up. I can't have a girl passed out on my couch when mom gets home.

She stirs a bit. "Maggie? Maggie? Are you awake?" I ask, gently shaking her.

She bolts up and pushes me away. "Are you insane? What are you?" She's shaking in fear and anger. She's soaking wet and I sit still, half hurt, half understanding.

"I'm just me. I'm not evil or cursed. I'm just a guy with a freak Navajo gene," I sigh.

She looks me over, and her thoughts stop coming so fast. "You, who else knows?"

"Just my mom. We move around when there are… incidents. I get bullied a lot. People can feel the weird and abnormal shit going on."

She nods. I don't want to move again, but I see the gears moving in her head and I'm too polite to read her mind.

"I won't tell."

"Huh?"

She laughs, "I won't tell. You're a sweet guy. I won't tell, on one condition."

Her smile makes me a little nervous, but I have no choice. "Ok."

"You have to go on a date with me." She kisses my cheek, gets up, and walks out, leaving me in shock.

"Today we move on to Native American lore, just to switch things up."

My head snaps up. Why? It's too early to change chapters. "First topic. Skinwalkers."

Mr. Black's eyes meet mine and he lets me know. _I know. _Fear shoots through me, but then I calm down… No. I'm not running. I have a life here. Let the games begin.

I hate gym, almost as much as I hate Mr. Black. A soccer ball whizzes past my face. A bulky guy with blonde hair pushes me out of the way, "MOVE GEEK!"

Bad idea.

I grab his broad shouldered self and threw him into the grass. I snarl, almost changing out of anger, when Maggie grabs my arm and hauls me away.

"You dumbass, you can't go throwing jocks around like rag dolls." She stops and looks me over, hands on her tiny waist.

I mumble my apologies. She smiles and walks off before I can ask how she got here from her class so fast.

Immediately after P.E., I know my stunt with the un-named Neanderthal was a mistake. I keep getting tripped and shoved and random howls ring through the halls as I pass through them.

"Werewolf! Awooooooo! Howl back wolf boy!"

I ignore the stupidity until after school, so that I can hopelessly wish that life will get better.


End file.
